Ancient Grain Einkorn Bread in a Bread Machine
Want to make homemade Einkorn bread in a more hands-off method? This easy bread machine recipe makes a hearty, soft, and flavorful loaf using ancient grains. I’ll show you exactly how I make it, along with tips for getting the best rise and avoiding a dense loaf.
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Ancient grains behave differently from modern grains; therefore you need to approach making bread machine bread a little bit differently as well.
NOTE: This recipe is adapted from my Fresh Milled Einkorn Sandwich Bread
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy & Hands-Off
- Made with 100% Fresh Milled Einkorn Flour
- No Knead
- Rich, Nutty Flavor
- Perfect for Sandwiches and Toast
What is Einkorn Flour?
Einkorn flour is an ancient grain that has never been hybridized. It boasts a rich, nutty flavor and is perfect for most baking applications.
Keep in mind that this ancient grain flour has a different type of gluten than modern wheat making gluten development takes a gentler approach.
Why Is Einkorn Flour Hard to Work With? (+ Fixes)
Fresh Milled Ancient Grains Beginner Starter Guide
Ingredients to make Einkorn Bread in a Bread Machine
- Einkorn Flour – I use Fresh Milled Einkorn flour, however this recipe can be made with All-Purpose Einkorn or Pre-Milled Whole Wheat Einkorn flour.
- Salt
- Active Dry Yeast – Can substitute with Instant Yeast.
- Olive Oil – Substitutions could be melted butter, melted coconut oil, or Avocado oil.
- Water – Warm water to 100-105 degrees F.
- Egg
- Honey – Optional. May substitute with maple syrup.
Full ingredient amounts can be found in the printable recipe card below
How to make Einkorn Bread in a Bread Machine (Step-by-Step)
Mill your Einkorn berries on the fine setting of your grain mill.
Step 1. Make the Sponge
Warm the water to 100-105 degrees F and add to the pan of your bread maker.
Pour in the oil, honey, yeast, and egg along with half of the flour or 192 grams.
Press the “raw dough” setting and let the dough mix just until combined and no dry bits of flour remain. You may need to take a silicone spatula and scrape down the sides.
Once mixed together, press the “start” button and then press and hold the start stop button until the machine resets or unplug the machine.
Let this mixture sit for 20 minutes with the lid closed.
Step 2. Mix in rest of flour and salt
Once the sponge has sat for 20 minutes (it should be frothy), add the rest of the flour and the salt.
Press the “raw dough” again and let mix just until the rest of the flour is combined and no dry bits of flour remain.
Unplug the machine or reset by pressing the “start/stop” button until it resets.
Step 3. Shape the loaf and remove the paddle
Spritz your work surface with a bit of water and scrape the dough out of the bread maker pan onto the work surface.
Remove the paddle and sit aside.
Spritz your hands and a dough scraper and gently shape the dough into a log shape.
Generously spray the loaf pan with oil.
Place the shaped dough into the pan and return to the bread maker and close the lid.
DO NOT TURN THE MACHINE ON AT THIS POINT
Step 4. Rise
Let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Keep a very close eye on the dough and bake as soon as it has risen to approximately double the size.
Step 5. Bake
Turn the machine on and press the “bake” function.
Choose 1:05 and either light, medium, or dark crust.
Step 6. Let loaf cool
Once the loaf is baked, turn it over onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
My Best Tips for Ancient Grain Bread in a Bread Machine
Don’t Walk Away Without Checking the Dough
Especially important with freshly milled Einkorn as it will mix very quickly.
Don’t over mix the dough
Overmixing Einkorn dough will make the dough stickier and stickier. Mix just until combined.
Don’t Overdo the Flour
Too much flour can create a dry, dense loaf.
Watch the Rise
Einkorn dough rises more quickly than modern wheat doughs in my experience.
Why Did My Einkorn Bread Turn Out Dense?
- Not enough water – If the dough is too dense, the bread will turn out dry and heavy.
- Too much flour – Just like too little water, too much flour will cause your bread to be heavy.
- Weak or out of date yeast – Yeast needs to be active and strong for a good rise which leads to a lighter loaf.
- Didn’t rise long enough – Only allowing the dough to rise for a very short time and then baking will lead to a dense loaf.
- Sliced before completely cool – Slicing hot bread will lead to a gummy dense loaf as the loaf continues to bake as it cools.
How to store this bread
Store completely cooled loaf in a bread bag or airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
Freeze in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
Ways to serve Einkorn Bread
- Sandwiches
- Toast
- French Toast
- Avocado Toast
- Butter and a drizzle of Honey
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe will work well with white Einkorn flour.
Spelt flour behaves differently from Einkorn flour. With Spelt you would want to let it knead for 3-4 minutes before rising and baking.
This recipe is for a 1.5 pound loaf.
More Fresh Milled Flour Recipes
Fresh Milled Einkorn Sandwich Bread (Soft, Easy & 100% Whole Grain)
Easy Master Dough Recipe Using Fresh Milled Flour
How to Make Ciabatta Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
Sourdough Einkorn Pizza Dough (Fresh Milled Flour)
Homemade Hoagie Rolls Made With Fresh Milled Flour
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Bread Machine: KBS PRO BREADMAKER
Grain Mill: NUTRIMILL HARVEST
Einkorn Berries: ANCIENT GRAINS
Ancient Grain Einkorn Bread in a Bread Machine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water 223 grams 100-105 degrees F
- 2 tsp active dry yeast 9 grams
- 4 cups freshly milled Einkorn flour 384 grams can use store bought whole wheat or all purpose Einkorn flour
- 2 tbsp honey 36 grams
- 1 tbsp olive oil 13 grams
- 1 tsp salt 9 grams
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Mill your Einkorn berries on the fine setting of your grain mill.
- Warm the water to 100-105 degrees F and add to the pan of your bread maker.
- Pour in the oil, honey, yeast, and egg along with half of the flour or 192 grams.
- Press the “raw dough” setting and let the dough mix just until combined and no dry bits of flour remain. You may need to take a silicone spatula and scrape down the sides.
- Once mixed together, press the “start” button and then press and hold the start stop button until the machine resets or unplug the machine.
- Let this mixture sit for 20 minutes with the lid closed.
- Once the sponge has sat for 20 minutes (it should be frothy), add the rest of the flour and the salt.
- Press the “raw dough” again and let mix just until the rest of the flour is combined and no dry bits of flour remain.
- Unplug the machine or reset by pressing the “start/stop” button until it resets.
- Spritz your work surface with a bit of water and scrape the dough out of the bread maker pan onto the work surface.
- Remove the paddle and sit aside.
- Spritz your hands and a dough scraper and gently shape the dough into a log shape.
- Generously spray the loaf pan with oil.
- Place the shaped dough into the pan and return to the bread maker and close the lid.
- DO NOT TURN THE MACHINE ON AT THIS POINT
- Let the dough rise for 45 minutes to an hour. Keep a very close eye on the dough and bake as soon as it has risen to approximately double the size.
- Turn the machine on and press the “bake” function.
- Choose 1:05 and either light, medium, or dark crust.
- Once the loaf is baked, turn it over onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
